A recent study showed that trying new things at the library is good for your mental health. (This is it. This is the study). Here are some new things I’ve tried recently, and here is a link to DBRL’s events calendar in case you’re thinking about trying something new, too! 
1. Free Magazine Day
A room full of old magazines, free for the taking — such a phenomenon occurs at the library every year in January. I took some good stuff home: Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Baffler, Koreana. But instead of cutting everything up for collaging like I’d planned, I ended up reading, too. There’s something seriously satisfying about reading a magazine cover to cover.
The good news: You don’t have to wait for another Free Magazine Day to enjoy a great magazine! You’ll find all kinds of magazines and other periodicals for in-library use and checkout up on the third floor. And if you’re looking for kids’ magazines, those live on the first floor, in the land of the Children’s Section…
2. Chess: Play & Learn
Chess is better with friends! Or strangers! I stopped by Chess: Play & Learn in the Children’s Program Room one Tuesday evening at CPL to see how my tragic Chess.com rating would hold up in real life.
How did I do? The picture says it all… But did I have fun? So much that I completely lost track of time. 
If you’re a beginner chess player, Chess: Play & Learn is a welcoming space to learn and practice. And if you’re an excellent chess player, you might just meet your match — rumor has it there are a couple of chess savants on staff at CPL… and maybe even a few chess whiz kids running around ready for a challenge. Find out about future chess events at Columbia Public Library and Southern Boone County Public Library here.
3. Library After Dark
This one is for anyone who has ever wished they could hang out at the library after hours, build a giant LEGO sculpture, and get a temporary tattoo. Maybe sit in on a story time and do the hokey-pokey. Maybe even toss up a parachute — kindergarten gym class style — and have a big rainbow moment. I didn’t know these were things I missed. Maybe you do too! This after-hours event only happens a few times a year, but it’s worth the wait.
If you’re interested in other evening programs, consider attending After-Hours Open Mic Night! This is a quarterly event, coming up again sometime in May — to be published on the live events calendar in the weeks to come!
4. Readers’ Advisory
Until recently, I’d never actually asked a library employee, “What should I read?” Outside of basic questions about my favorite books and authors, they asked me questions I didn’t realize I had answers to: Is there anything that makes you lose interest in a book? Is there a time period you like stories to be set in? Do you gravitate towards certain qualities in a protagonist? Talking about these preferences made me feel understood as a reader and led me to titles I wouldn’t have found on my own.
Readers’ advisory doesn’t have to happen in person — you are also free to call upon 
the Book Oracle. When you submit a Book Oracle request, your reading preferences are connected with a library associate who performs a personalized search for titles matched to your tastes. When there are no obvious answers to the question of what to read (or, too many!), readers’ advisory, whether in-person or via the Oracle, can make things clearer. 
There’s a lot going on at the library, and it can be hard to know where to start. Maybe you won’t love every event you try, but whatever room you walk into — whatever question you ask, whatever form you submit, however (un)skilled you are at chess — your presence and participation will be felt and appreciated by your library, and by your library community. Thank you for trying new things! And if you have your own idea for something the library should try, you can send in a program proposal here. 
